Combination-lock



w. H. LONG.

COMBINATLON LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1920.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVEfiTOR WM, H LONG w n, LONG. CDMBiNATiON LOCK.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 12. 1920.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. LONG, 0E BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed 1111112 12, 1920. Serial No. 388,443.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. LONG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Combination-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to combination-locks and particularly to a lock of this type which may be used to lock certain of the vital parts of an automobile to prevent the theft thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination lock in which the tumblers are operatable entirely independent of the central shaft or spindle.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a combination lock in which the dial member is rotatable independent of the central shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock of the present type which may be adjusted so finely that the least departure from the use of the exact combination will prevent the opening of the look.

A further object is to provide a combination lock which will readily lend itself to locking some of the vital parts of an automobile, especially such parts as are usually difficult to lock against movement on account of their mechanical nature.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of the lock.

Fig. 2 is a vertical thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the lock.

Fig. A is a front view of the bearing member and the tumbler rings. v

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the bearing member.

longitudinal section Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofione of the tumbler rings.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the dial' member.

Briefly expressedthe lock in its present embodiment comprises a casing through which extends the mainspindle that is adapted to retain one or more extraneous elements in locked position. Arranged within the casing and adapted to hold the spindle in its'locking position is a bolt which is engaged by anumber of tumbler rings having notches which, when alined, permit the bolt to be disengaged fromthe spindle so that the extraneous member may be released. A manually operative dial member rotatablydisposed about the spindle affords a means of manipulating the tumblers so that they may be positioned to permit or prevent the release of the bolt as the case may be. Means are provided for resiliently retaining the bolt in engagement with the spindle and means are also included for ejecting the bolt from such engagement.

A detailed description of my invention follows:

As hereinbefore mentioned my lock is particularly adaptedfor locking various parts of an automobile; in this connection I have in the present embodiment of the invention incorporated it with the ignition and lighting switch which is'usually provided on the dash of the automobile. I here merely provide for the locking of the ignition, the lights being controlled by a lever, which may be readily moved at any time.

The device preferably comprises a cylindrical casing 2 formed" with an annular flange 3 which enables the lock tobe properly fitted on dash 4 of the automobile. The

rear portion of the casing, which, of course, lies behind the dash, is provided with a switch board 6 preferably formed of some dielectric material upon which the ignition terminal posts 7 and the lighting terminal posts 8 are arcuately arranged. The posts 8 are adapted to be engagedby a contact 9 secured to a di-electric dislrll which is rotatably mounted within the casing. The disk is rotated by means of a lever or'handle 12 which extends through a transversely dis- Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

posedslot 13 formed'in the casing preferably just in front of the exposed surface of the flange 3. Manipulation of the lever 12 will produce acorresponding movement of the contact 9 whereby the lights may be turned off, on, or dimmed as desired.

The ignition terminal posts 7 are arranged to be engaged by a contact let which is fixed upon a second di-electric rotatable of a pin 19, a suitableslot 21 being formed in the bearing to permit the proper co-movement of the spindle and disk. Movement of the pin 19, and therefore the disk 16, is limited in opposite directions by the end walls 22 and 23 of the slot, the contact 14- beingarranged to close the circuit when the pin engages one end 23 of the slot, and to open the circuit when the other end 22 of the slot is engaged.

It is therefore primarily desirable to lock the spindle when the pin 19 thereof engages the end 22 of the slot so that it will be impossible to start the automobile with its own motive power. Extending radially of the spindle and slidable in the bearing mem ber 17 is a bolt 26 whose inner end is arranged to seat in a recess 27 formed in the spindle. The recess is formed with a cam face 27, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that V the bolt must be ejected from recess before the spindle can be rotated.

Means are therefore provided for holding the bolt engaged in the recess so that the rotation of spindle will be prevented. Mount ed for independent rotation in the bearing member 17 and concentrically disposed about the spindle are a plurality of tumbler rings 28, 29 and 30 which engage recesses 31, 32 and 83, respectively formed in the bolt, thereby retaining the bolt in engagement with the spindle. Each tumbler ring is formed with a notch 34 which is substantially of the shape ofthat portion of the bolt which the ring engages, therefore, it

will be apparent that'when the notches 34 are radially alined at the bolt that the latter may pass through the rings and thus permit the spindle to be rotated. Means are included whereby the tumblers may be manipulated so as to move the notches 34 into or out of. alinement with the bolt according as it may be desired by the proper person to lock or release the spindle. Rotatablymounted on the spindle andcovering the front of the lock is a manually operative dial member 36 having the usual 5 index numerals formed thereon. The inner face of the dial member is formed with projections 37, 38 and 39 which are arranged to engage projections d0, 11 and 42 respectively fixed on the tumblers. As shown clearly in Fig. 4 the two inner tumblers are provided with a pair of projections 10 and 41 respectively whereas the outer tumbler is preferably provided with but one projection 42.

To operate the lock, assuming that it is desired to release the spindle so that the ignition circuit may be closed, the dial memher is rotated in the usual manner, first in one direction, then in the opposite direction, and so on, until the tumbler notchesare alined at the bolt, the amount of rotation of the tumblers in each direction being, of course, governed by the particular spacing of the projections 40, 4:1 and 1-2 in the respective tumblers. With the notches thus alined the spindle may be rotated by the handle 47 fixed thereto so to move the contact to close the circuit, the bolt being in the meantime ejected from the recess against the resistance only of the spring 48 and moved through the tumbler notches.

To now move the contact back to open the circuit and lock it in said position, the spindle is rotated to move the contact out of engagement with the posts, during which 9 movement the bolt has been pressed into the spindle recess by the spring 48. The dial member may then be rotated one or more turns to move the notches out of alinement with the bolt so that the latter is held in locked engagement with the spindle.

It will be noted that the tumbler rings are each provided with quite a number of circumferentially alined apertures 4:9 whereby the projections or pegs 40, a1 and 42 may be placed in a different aperture whenever it is desired to change the combination of the lock.

I claim:

1. A combination lock comprising a casing having a bearing, a locking spindle mounted in said bearing and extending through the casing, a tumbler ring mounted for rotation in said bearing and movable entirely independent of said spindle, said tumbler having an opening, a manually operative dial member mounted for rotation on said spindle, a bolt adapted to engage said spindle and having a recess for the re ception of said tumbler, cooperating projections on said tumbler and dial member whereby said opening may be moved into or out of alinement with the bolt to permit the latter to be disengaged from or engaged with the spindle, means for resiliently retaining said bolt in engagement withsaid spindle, and means on said spindle for moving said bolt out of resilientengagement therewith. s

2. A combination lockcomprising a casing having a bearing, a locking spindle rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending through said casing, a plurality of concentrically disposed transversely alined notched tumbler rings arranged in said bearing about said spindle and rotatable independent of the latter, a manually operative dial member mounted for independent rotation on said spindle, a bolt adapted to engage said spindle and having a plurality of recesses for the reception of said tumbler rings cooperating projections on said rings and said dial member whereby said notches may be moved into or out of alinement with said bolt to permit the latter to be disen gaged from or engaged with the spindle, means for resiliently retaining said bolt in engagement with the spindle, and means for moving said belt out of said resilient engagement with the spindle.

3. A combination lock comprising a cas ing, a locking spindle extending through said casing, a plurality of concentric diametrically alined notched tumbler rings rotatably mounted about said spindle, a manually operative dial member mounted or independent rotation on said spindle, a bolt adapted to engage said spindle and provided with a plurality of recesses for the reception of said tumbler rings, and cooperative engaging means on said dial and tumblers whereby said notches may be moved into or out of alinement with said bolt to permit the latter to be disengaged from or engaged with the spindle.

l. A combination lock comprising a casing having a bearing, a locking spindle rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending through said casing, a tumbler ring mounted for rotation in said bearing and movable independent of said spindle, said tumbler having an opening, a manually operative dial member mounted for rotation on said spindle, a bolt adapted to engage said spindle and having a recess for the reception of said tumbler, and cooperative engaging means on said tumbler and dial member whereby said opening may be moved into or out of alinement with the bolt to permit the latter to be disengaged from or engaged with the spindle.

5. A combination lock comprising a casing having a bearing, a locking spindle rotatably mounted in said bearing and extending through said casing, a tumbler ring mounted for rotation in said bearing and movable independent of said spindle, said tumbler having an opening, a manually operative dial member mounted for rotation on said spindle, a bolt adapted to engage said spindle and having a recess for the reception of said tumbler, cooperative engaging means on said tumbler and dial member whereby said opening may be moved into or out of alinement with the bolt to permit the latter to be disengaged from or engaged with the spindle, means for resiliently retaining said bolt in engagement with said spindle, and means on said spindle for moving said bolt out of resilient engagement therewith.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my hand at akland, California, this 29th day of May, 1920.

WILLIAM H. LONG.

In presence of GERTRUDE L. RAND. 

